LYMM produced one of their worst displays of the season as they went down 5-26 to Birkenhead Park.
Whatt a difference three weeks make. Three weeks ago Lymm put in one of their best ever performances to beat the best team in the league – Darlington, while this was one of their worst ever performances.
It happened to be against Birkenhead Park, a useful side that plays to its strengths and executes a predictable game plan, without being inspirational.
Birkenhead deserved to win, but didn’t have to do a great deal to record their second win over Lymm in the league this season.
One could imagine that they were expecting a much tougher match, but the reality is that Lymm just did not turn up. It didn’t help that the team had to reshuffle its front-row, bringing in veteran Tucker at prop and flanker Matthew Connelly at hooker, but this could not explain the lacklustre performance of the whole team. It was as if they didn’t want to play. It was bitterly cold and wet, but the pitch was in great condition. Where was the team that beat Darlington ?
Playing with the wind behind their backs, Birkenhead Park dominated territory and possession in the first half. Apart from some aimless kicks up-field, Lymm struggled to get out of their own half. Full-back David Williamson looked a threat whenever he had the ball in hand and flanker Jake Ashall and No. 8 Adam Bray made their usual foraging runs forward, but whenever good ground was made Lymm managed to spill the ball or to concede a penalty. It came as no surprise that Tucker was yellow-carded on 21 minutes and that Birkenhead Park moved into a 14 points to nil lead whilst he was on the touch-line. The first score was entirely predictable – a penalty kick to the corner, a line-out, a driving maul and BP ahead 7 – nil. The second score was less predictable, a try under the posts for the Birkenhead Park centre, made possible by a missed tackle in mid-field by Lymm.
On 30 minutes, a penetrating run by skipper Joe Knowles, back at No. 10 following his `Sevens’ exploits in Dubai the previous weekend, put Lymm momentarily on the front foot, but another spilled ball allowed Birkenhead Park to counter attack. A cover tackle from winger Jack Johnstone just kept them out, but not for long. Five minutes before half-time Birkenhead Park moved into a match-winning 21 points to nil lead, following an attacking scrum 5 metres from Lymm’s line. It was symptomatic of Lymm’s play that an opportunity to put some points on the board on the stroke of half-time was squandered, as centre Luke Emmitt pulled his normally dependable penalty kick just wide of the posts. This was not going to be Lymm’s day.
It was déjà-vu on 43 minutes: Lymm concede a penalty – Birkenhead Park kick to the corner and set up a driving maul that leads to a try. Just to show they can play a more expansive game Birkenhead Park scored by putting in a short pass to the No. 8 who dived over in the corner from 2 metres out. It must have been a fit of conscience that caused BP’s excellent kicker to miss the conversion. The referee allowed him to take the kick 15 metres in from the touch-line. Maybe if he had taken it from the correct spot he would have slotted the kick over, as he had done with his previous kicks.
Lymm started to play on 45 minutes, for all of one minute. Adam Bray made ground, Joe Knowles went on a loop before releasing Dave Williamson, who hit the line at pace and dived over in the corner for Lymm’s only score of the match. Emmitt tried his best, with a clear conscience, by kicking from the correct spot, but just missed with his conversion attempt. It didn’t really matter – the game was lost and everybody knew.
On another day the referee’s decision to yellow-card prop Nick Ashton on 50 minutes, for whatever reason, might have been significant. Today it wasn’t.
The most cheerful moment on a dismal day was seeing ex-colt Henry Bellis make his first team debut. He was only on the field for a few minutes, but in those minutes he showed more commitment and hunger for the ball in both attack and defence than many of his more experienced colleagues. An opportunity to show his obvious talents next week, against arch rivals Altrincham Kersal, beckons.
After the match Head Coach Kinsey was lost for words of the printable variety. Assistant Coach Bennett was seen, under the dimming lights, preparing a session on passing practice, as the team headed for the bar to get warm and drown their sorrows. No doubt both coaches will have much to say during training this week. Expect a better performance next week at Alti K. It will be good to get back into winning ways to put a smile on everyone’s face just before a much needed break at Christmas.
Team:15: Williamson 14: Barnes-Smith 13: Fletcher 12; Emmitt 11: Johnstone 10: Knowles 9: Baker 8: Bray (A) 7: Ashall 6: Higginson 5: Williams 4: Bennett 3: Widdrington 2: Connelly 1: Broadbent: Replacements: Ashton, Bellis, Millachip.
